Blood Is Real. Blood Is Truth. Kraven Is CREEPY! In Deadpool #4.

Deadpool #4 Cover 1

Written by Kelly Thompson, Art by Chris Bachalo.

And thus, the first arc of Thompson's Deadpool run comes to its bloody conclusion. Wade found himself the unwitting King of Monster Island. This lead to all manner of problems, not least of all, Kraven Jr turning up to try and murder everything, and be super creepy along the way.

But, of course, Deadpool is nothing if not a survivor! So, with some smarts and a LOT of stabbing, he managed to pull through.


But here's the thing. And it's a thing that so many people forget about Wade:

He's about more than just stabbing.

Sure, it's great to throw down, have an issue with nothing but crazy fights. It's fun, now and again. But readers need more. Wade Freakin' Wilson deserves more.

And I think on this level, Thompson delivered.

Yes. I'll say this now. 75% of this issue is stabbing. There's some slashing, an appropriate level of kicking, and just a soupçon of skewering.

But if that's all there had been, it would have been an incredibly unfulfilling issue, and a terrible end to the arc.

But, thankfully, while it was certainly an action heavy issue, there was just enough plot and emotion in the issue to round everything off nicely.

There were a couple of moments in this issue, that really made me feel that Thompson just straight up GETS the character, and as this is just the beginning of her time writing for him, that makes me rather happy.

It wasn't just Wade's surprisingly deep retorts to Kraven, as they duelled.

It wasn't just Wade's clear lack of satisfaction, after the fight was over.

And it wasn't his resolution, made over the freshly dug graves...

It was that after all is said and done, when he so easily could have said F*£% it, and headed back to his crappy apartment, to eat pizza and get drunk, he didn't. He pushed on. He did what HAD to be done. Not what he wanted to do.

Because that's the kind of guy he is, deep down.

Really deep down.

Like WAAYY down.

Overall, this was a very satisfying end to Thompson and Bachalo's first arc for the Merc with a Mouth. Thompson's subtle and layered take is up there with the best, and showcases just why I love the character so much.

Bachalo's art continues to perfectly capture the slightly bizarre nature of Wade's world. This is particularly evident in Wade's BRUTAL showdown with Kraven, where his jagged lines and ever changing proportions make the combat scenes as surreal to read as they are satisfying to watch.

Really excited to see what this team has planned, and I hope you'll join me along the way!

America's Ass is canon now. Embrace it!

  • Instagram